


The Way Back Home

by Hear_the_Dokidoki



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, M/M, Prince!Jisung
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-14
Updated: 2018-01-18
Packaged: 2019-03-04 23:29:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13375344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hear_the_Dokidoki/pseuds/Hear_the_Dokidoki
Summary: "Home" becomes a blurry concept when heart and mind aren't aligned.This is a story about growing up, heartbreak, friendship and love.





	1. Pilot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I miss the beginning of Through the Years. Here's a new take on a royalty AU! I hope you guys will enjoy it ^^

“Your Highness!” the nanny called. “Please, it’s time to eat!”

The little prince was hiding behind a tall tree surrounded by bushes, trying to make himself as small as possible.

“We’ll play later, I promise! Your Highness, come out!” she persisted.

And Han Jisung just grinned.

“Watcha doing?” a voice asked.

After jumping, the prince glanced left and right, trying to locate the origin of the voice.

“I’m up here,” it said, and Jisung looked up to find a boy sitting in the tree.

Peeking in the distance, Jisung saw his nanny still searching for him, though she seemed to be getting closer. He gestured for the other to remain silent, and as a reply got a loud “What??”. Getting anxious, the little prince made broad movements indicating for the boy to come down.

“What were you saying?” the latter asked, after jumping down the tree in one go, leaving Jisung shaken.

“Stay silent,” a wide-eyed Jisung mouthed.

“Why?” the other asked, but his voice was already down to a whisper.

“They’re looking for me,” Jisung said.

“Who?”

“The servants.”

“The servants?”

“Yes.”

The boy sat down next to Jisung, looking around with a curious expression. “What happens if they find you?”

The prince took a moment to answer. “I’ll have to go home.”

A pause.

“Home,” the boy let out softly. “What’s wrong with that?”

“I just… I like being outside.” When the other didn’t reply, he added “The sky and the flowers are pretty.”

The boy considered the answer. “I guess that’s true.”

They fell silent as Jisung peeped over the bushes again, and his heart stopped when he saw the nanny walking towards him in a straight line. She’d get there in a minute, two if he was lucky.

“Here,” the stranger suddenly said, poking the prince’s shoulder.

Jisung turned to him. He was holding a single, yellow flower.

“What’s that?” Jisung asked.

“You said you liked flowers. It’s for you.”

A pause.

“For me?” the little prince finally let out.

As an answer, the boy tugged the flower behind the Jisung’s ear.

“You look cute with it!” he declared, smiling, and Jisung felt an abrupt wave of warmth overtake his insides.

“Th-thanks.”

The boy was about to say something, but a loud “Your Highness!” interrupted him.

“What did she just call-”

“I have to go,” Jisung said, darting up. “Don’t let her see you,” he added.

“What? Why??”

“Then I might not be able to meet you again.”

“Wait!” the other exclaimed, grabbing the prince’s sleeve.

“I can’t-”

“I’m Lee Minho! What your name?”

Jisung lips parted to answer, but a very loud and irritated “Stop playing around!” cut him short, and he simply had to flee, leaving a baffled Minho behind.

“Your Highness,” the nanny said with exasperation when he reached her. “Why must you always put me through so much trouble?”

“I’m sorry…”

“You very well know that you aren’t’” she sighed. “And what’s that in your hair?”

“Oh,” Jisung uttered. “Just… Just a flower.”

She glared at him, awaiting further explanation. After half a minute, she decided she didn’t actually care about the prince’s eccentricities anymore.

“Let’s just go home,” she said, and Jisung nodded.

When he was sure she wasn’t looking, the little prince looked back into the line of trees. A broad grin came upon his face when he spotted a hand waving at him, and he waved back with both arms, before realizing he might be caught. He turned and continued walking, but.. something in him seemed to still be back there.

“ _Lee Minho,_ ” Jisung thought. “ _That’s a pretty name._ ”


	2. Minho-hyung

“You!” Lee Minho blurted, pointing at Jisung with wide eyes.

The prince caught his hand and brought it down before proceeding to gently push him out of any passerby’s sight.

“What’s happening?” Minho asked, bewildered.

“I’m not supposed to be here,” Jisung replied quietly.

“Then why are you?”

“I wanted to see you.”

A pause. They were near the bakery’s door, and the sound of working men and women could be heard as the smell of flour and cinnamon filled the entire street.

“I’m working right now,” Minho said.

“I’m sorry. I just… I came as soon as I could.”

Minho frowned. “As soon as you could?” he repeated. “I haven’t seen you in months!”

The prince offered an embarrassed smile. “It took longer than expected to find you.”

“Wait… How did you even find me? You know nothing but my name, and it’s common enough.”

“Oh, uh…” Jisung let out, feeling his cheeks burning up.

He thought of the hours he had spent in the library, looking through the archives until he found a few profiles that matched the name and apparent age of the boy he had met. This was in fact his forth escapade out of the castle, and when he had seen his Minho, Jisung’s had felt a mix of relief and euphoria. When they had first met, the world was still bright with the colors of summer, and now snow covered the entire land… But when Jisung saw the other boy through the bakery’s window, it seemed like all that time had never passed and that they were still sitting behind that tall apple tree near the bushes.

But he couldn’t say all that, now, could he?

“I just… Asked around.”

Minho didn’t answer, fidgeting with the hem of his sleeves.

“I’m sorry,” Jisung said again, his exhilaration progressively turning to uncertainty. “I should’ve waited and… I- uh…”

Noticing the other’s obvious distress, Minho spoke in a soft voice. “Hey, it’s okay… I was surprised by your sudden appearance, that’s all.”

“No,” Jisung replied. “I don’t think I should have come, you’re working and it’s-”

“I’m glad to see you,” Minho interrupted.

That rendered Jisung silent, though his mouth was still half opened.

Minho chuckled. “Would you perhaps want to start this conversation over?”

Jisung stared at him, and the warmth of the baker’s smile reassured him. “I’d like that.”

“Then…” Minho began quietly. “Hi.”

“Hello,” Jisung replied, heart pounding against his chest.

“It’s been a while,” Minho continued. “Will you tell me your name, this time?”

“Oh,” Jisung uttered, then cleared his throat. “I’m Jisung.”

“Like the crown prince?”

Jisung blinked.

Did Minho not know?

The silence stretched. Jisung hesitated.

“Or not?” the other said.

“Yes… Like the crown prince,” he finally answered.

Another silence.

“So… How old are you?” Minho questioned.

“11.”

“I’m 13! That makes me your hyung,” Minho declared with a smirk.

“My hyung?”

Han Jisung, being who he was, had never truly had the chance to call anyone hyung.

“Since you’re my donsaeng, I can talk casually, right? You don’t mind?”

“I- uh… I don’t think I mind…?”

Minho chuckled again. “Then, Jisungie it is!”

He put a hand on Jisung’s head and ruffled his hair.

“I’m not sure why,” Minho continued. “But I feel drawn to you… Like I should take care of you.”

He smiled, and Jisung’s world blurred of everything but that smile.


End file.
